Michigan forwards Moussa Diabate, Caleb Houstan to remain in NBA Draft

James Hawkins
The Detroit News

The Wolverines have a couple more spots to fill in the starting lineup.

Michigan forwards Moussa Diabate and Caleb Houstan are staying in the NBA Draft and forgoing their remaining college eligibility after playing key roles as freshmen, the men's basketball program announced.

The news came on Wednesday, the NCAA’s last day for underclassmen to withdraw from the June 23 draft, retain their eligibility and return to school.

Diabate, a former five-star recruit from Paris, participated at the NBA Draft Combine and had a solid showing at the event, where he tested well in the agility drills and posted a double-double (10 points, 11 rebounds) in his second and final scrimmage.

Michigan forward Moussa Diabate will remain in the NBA Draft and forgo his three seasons of remaining college eligibility.

“I think it definitely makes a change and it’s definitely going to improve my stock because at end of day when you do good in testing, I think the team can trust you more,” Diabate said of his performance at the combine. “They (NBA teams) definitely see potential, and I’ve showed them something they were surprised of that they didn’t think I had in me.”

Diabate is far from a finished product, especially on the offensive end. His jump shot limited his ceiling and is an area of his game that will need to develop at the next level.

“Throughout the drills, I definitely showed that I have potential in my shooting,” he said. “And obviously I showed them pretty much what I can do — being able to play defense and guard multiple positions.”

However, Diabate’s stock hasn’t changed much among draft prognosticators. Out of several prominent two-round mock drafts, Sports Illustrated has Diabate going in the second round at No. 44 but his name doesn’t appear in projections by Bleacher Report, ESPN and The Athletic.

Still, Diabate’s athleticism, motor and length — things that can’t be taught — surely could attract NBA teams, and he’s already had pre-draft workouts with the Atlanta Hawks, Indiana Pacers and San Antonio Spurs.

Caleb Houstan (22) led Michigan in made 3-pointers last season.

Houstan, a former five-star recruit from Ontario, was pegged as a potential lottery pick before he played a single game for the Wolverines. But over the course of an up-and-down freshman campaign, his name fell off most mock drafts by the end of season.

That’s changed in recent weeks after he reportedly declined an invitation to the combine, fueling speculation that he received a promise from an NBA team. That’s led a couple draft projections to slot him as a late first-round pick (No. 25 by ESPN and No. 30 by CBS Sports), while some have him as an early-to-mid second-round selection.

ESPN’s Jonathan Givony wrote in his recent mock draft that Houstan skipping the combine indicates “there might be something to the rumors of a first-round promise, or that Houstan has a landing spot with which he's comfortable.”

Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman noted Houstan could’ve received an assurance from a team that has multiple first-round picks, like the Oklahoma City Thunder or Spurs, or was offered guaranteed money with a second-round pick. Regardless, Wasserman wrote it would be early in the pre-draft process to make such a promise to a player like Houstan, a 6-8 perimeter shooter who was inconsistent.

Diabate, who earned All-Big Ten freshman team honors after averaging nine points and six rebounds per game, and Houstan, who averaged 10.1 points and made a team-high 60 3-pointers at a 35.5% clip, are the first one-and-done freshmen at Michigan since Ignas Brazdeikis in 2019.

They are also the third and fourth starters from last season’s Sweet 16 team that coach Juwan Howard will have to replace, along with guards DeVante’ Jones and Eli Brooks. The departures leave Michigan thin on experience in the frontcourt, outside of junior center Hunter Dickinson, and put the Wolverines two under the scholarship limit for next season.

jhawkins@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @jamesbhawkins